Ousted Kenly town manager Justine Jones hired as Spring Lake town manager
THROUGH THE TIMELINE FOR RAIN
ON THURSDAY.
>> A TOWN THAT IS FACING A
NUMBER OF CONTROVERSIES OVER
THE YEARS NOW HAS A NEW TOWN
MANAGER. ONE THAT WAS RECENTLY
FIRED FROM THE TOWN OF KENLEY.
GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU. I'M JEFF
HOGAN MICHELLE MACKONOCHIE IN
FOR RENEE CHOU. THANKS FOR
JOINING US.
>> JUSTINE JONES WILL NOW BE AT
THE HELM OF THE TOWN OF SPRING
LAKE NEAR FAYETTEVILLE AND
WRAL'S. CHELSEA DONOVAN IS LIVE
OUTSIDE TOWN HALL WITH THIS
RECENT DEVELOPMENT. CHELSEA.
>> YEAH. AFTER MEETING IN A
CLOSED DOOR SESSION FOR ALMOST
AN HOUR THIS SPRING LAKE BOWL,
THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN RATHER
VOTED LAST NIGHT 3 TO 2 TO
HIRE. JUSTINE JONES AS THE NEXT
TOWN MANAGER. NOW I LEARNED
TODAY THAT THE SEARCH STARTED
IN AUGUST AND THERE WERE 5
CANDIDATES IN THE RUNNING.
YOUR CALL. JONES MADE NEWS OVER
THE SUMMER WHEN SHE WAS OUSTED
AS THE TOWN MANAGER. ONLY 3
MONTHS INTO OUR CONTRACT IN THE
TOWN OF KENLEY IN JOHNSTON
COUNTY. THIS AFTER THE ENTIRE
FULL-TIME POLICE FORCE,
INCLUDING THE POLICE CHIEF
RESIGNED CITING A HOSTILE WORK
ENVIRONMENT, AN INDEPENDENT
INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED FOUND
NO CREDIBILITY TO THAT CLAIM.
SO IT WAS UNFOUNDED. 3
AFRICAN-AMERICAN BOARD MEMBERS
HERE IN SPRING LAKE VOTED IN
FAVOR TO APPOINT JONES. 2 WHITE
MALES VOTED LAST NIGHT AGAINST
HER.
>> AND SAYS A PHYSICIAN, THIS
I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS SOMEBODY
THAT WAS MORE QUALIFIED FOR THE
EXPERIENCE OF THE TOWN NEEDED
THIS TIME.
>> IN THE LAST 15 YEARS, THE
TOWN OF SPRING-LIKE HAS BEEN
THROUGH 12 MANAGERS AND A GREAT
DEAL OF CONTROVERSY, INCLUDING
THE FORMER FINANCE DIRECTOR
WHO WAS CONVICTED LAST YEAR
BEEN BATTLING MORE THAN A HALF
A MILLION DOLLARS FROM
TAXPAYERS BETWEEN 2016 2021.
NOW JONES IS SET TO START HERE
IN THE TOWN OF SPRING LAKE ON
OCTOBER. THE 24TH DETAILS OF
HER CONTRACT ARE STILL BEING
WORKED OUT. I SPOKE TO THE TOWN
ATTORNEY TODAY WHO CONFIRMED
THAT AS FOR JONES, SHE TOLD ME
TODAY IT IS STILL TOO EARLY
TO COMMENT ON HER NEW POSITION.